Show IT IS WISE The Jfentld of yesterday morning under un-der the head of Is It Wise has along a-long leader on the cases which were in the District Court on Saturday in which three men were sent to the Penitentiary for violating the laws of their country and in the last sentence hut two of the article the Herald says There are times when the question of right and wrong may be laid aside for that of expe diency when wisdom suggests a different differ-ent course to that dictated by a strict construction con-struction of statutes Following that there comes this question Has not such a time come in the treatment of the Mormon problem There may be such times as those suggested sug-gested by the Herald when even a sfrict construction of the statute may be a poor guide to show people a way out of their difficulties especially when people wont see their way Such a time has come in Utah and those who have persisted in violating the laws should come forward and avow their intention to do so no more This would do away with a strict construction of the statute and what is more with the necessity of its strict enforcement en-forcement Yes there are times when the I I question of right and wiong may be laid I I aside for that of expediency and it would II be expedient ior those who have broken the law under the idea that they had aright a-right to break it to lay aside the question ques-tion as to their right to do so and in future to obey it It would be very inexpedient in-expedient for the Government to permit its laws to be defied by some four or five thousand people when they claim a divine di-vine right to do so and will not promise to obey the law in future when convicted It must always be inexpedient for any government to surrender to any set of men the power to set aside a law at their convenience merely because they think they have a right to do so It would have bben very expedient and very wise for the people of this Territory to have declared in favor of law and order and against the right of two percent per-cent to rule ninetyeight per cent in their mass meetings of the 2d inst But fijflnanrcdfiBWi aal isd ° Lj ° L such a Herald and the papers of the Mormon Church although the time was most opportune op-portune It is strange that not one among the many speakers who addressed those mass meetings ever thought to suggest sug-gest that be the of may people Utah would I better do something to put themselves in accord with the entire nation than ask the people of the United States to put themselves them-selves in accord with two per cent of the male population of the Mormons no matter how dear to them might be their ideas of right and wrong It is always expedient for people who are in difficulty especially to look at things just as they are no matter as to how they could wish them to be and it is not wise for any newspaper to withhold from them the true situation of affairs It is always expedient ex-pedient and wise to do without compulsion compul-sion that which one can be compelled to do with compulsion and the people of Utah can be compelled to obey the laws and are being todav Nov is it not time that the people of Utah understood this fact The three men who went to the Penitentiary Satur day are an example of this and their example ex-ample in this case will outweigh their precept But wherein is it farcical for the Government Gov-ernment to go ahead in the line now being followed One would naturally suppose from the tenor of the Heralds article that the proceedings now going on to enforce the law were anything but farc ical What part of the enforcement of the law is most farcical That wherein men pose as heroes and martyrs when convicted and sentenced for crime or that wherein those who are going to prison bless the assembled multitude It would be wise and expedient and very satisfactory to have those who say these things are farcicial point out which are and which are not to be taken as farcicial When this is done people will know where to look for the wisdom of a halt But the Herald tells one thing which is well worthy of consideration by those i for whom the Herald writes which is that the laws can be enforced in such a manner and with such rigor that the plural wife system will l be practically stopped but belief in its rightfulness will not thereby be de I j stroyed All that the Government asks is that the practice of polygamy stop and as to any belief as to its rightfulness it does not care The Herald knows full well that the law will be enforced until polygamy is stopped and would it not be better for all if it would so tell its readers and keep on telling them until every man who reads it shall be fully convinced that such is the fact It is time for the people of Utah to offer something which will lead to a peaceful solution of the Mormon lroblem and cease asking the United f r States to do eventhing for them I |